When Do Babies Start Crawling? Types of Crawling and What's Normal

Baby crawling toward a plush elephant on a dark grey play mat while a parent sits nearby with open arms

One week your baby is rocking on hands and knees like a car that will not start. The next, they are halfway across the room, going backward, and very cross about it. Crawling is one of the most fun stages to watch, and one of the most worried-about, because it seems to arrive on a different schedule for every baby.

Here is what pediatric and public-health sources say about when babies usually start crawling, the different ways they do it, what to do to encourage it, and when it is worth a call to your pediatrician.

This is general information, not medical advice. Your pediatrician knows your baby, so check with them about anything specific to your child, especially if your baby was born early or has a health condition.

When do babies usually start crawling?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says crawling is a skill usually mastered between seven and ten months. The NHS in the UK gives the same window, around 7 to 10 months, and adds a point that matters a lot: not all babies crawl, and some shuffle around on their bottoms instead.

That window is a range, not a deadline. Before babies crawl, many spend a while rocking on their hands and knees, and because their arms are stronger than their legs, the AAP notes they may push themselves backward at first. With practice, they work out how to go forward toward whatever has caught their eye.

It also helps to know what the official checklists actually include. The CDC's milestone checklist for 9 months, which lists things most children (75% or more) can do by that age, includes sitting without support and getting into a sitting position alone. It does not list crawling as a 9-month milestone. In its tips for that age, the CDC suggests placing toys on the ground or on a play mat a little out of reach to encourage your baby to crawl, scoot or roll to them.

Types of crawling (yes, they all count)

The AAP's HealthyChildren.org site lists several crawling styles. Your baby may use one, switch between a few, or invent a hybrid of their own.

  • Classic hands-and-knees crawl. Weight on hands and knees, moving one arm and the opposite knee forward at the same time.
  • Bear crawl. Like the classic crawl, but with elbows and knees kept straight, walking on hands and feet.
  • Belly or commando crawl. Pulling forward with the arms while the belly stays on the floor.
  • Bottom scooting. Sitting up and scooting along on their bottom, using their arms to move.
  • Crab crawl. Moving backward or sideways, pushing with the hands.
  • Rolling. Getting from one spot to another by rolling over and over.

According to the AAP, a few children never crawl and use alternatives like scooting or slithering instead. What matters, it says, is that your baby is coordinating each side of their body, using each arm and leg equally, exploring their surroundings and strengthening their body in preparation for walking.

Is skipping crawling a problem?

You may have heard that babies who skip crawling will struggle with reading or learning later. The AAP addresses this directly: there is no scientific evidence for that old theory, which was disproven years ago. Babies do not all follow the same playbook, and skipping a milestone or doing things out of order is not necessarily a concern on its own.

So if your baby goes straight from scooting to pulling up, that can be perfectly fine. The things to watch are covered in the "when to ask" section below.

How tummy time leads to crawling

HealthyChildren.org describes tummy time as a foundation for crawling. Time on their front helps babies build strength in their neck, shoulders, arms and back, and over the months that turns into pushing up, pivoting, rocking and finally moving.

If tummy time is a daily battle in your house, you are not alone. Our guide on what to try when your baby hates tummy time has gentle fixes, and tummy time by age covers how much to aim for at each stage.

How to encourage crawling

You cannot hurry a baby into crawling, but you can give them plenty of chances to practice.

  • Put something interesting just out of reach. The AAP and the CDC both suggest this. A favorite toy, a ball or your face a little way off gives your baby a reason to move.
  • Get down on the floor with them. Babies are often more motivated by you than by any toy. Lie a short distance away and call them over.
  • Build tiny obstacle courses. As your baby gets more agile, the AAP suggests mini courses of pillows, boxes and sofa cushions, with a game of peekaboo from behind them. Stay right there the whole time: the AAP warns a baby who falls between pillows or under a box may not be able to get out.
  • Limit time in gear that holds them still. Nemours KidsHealth suggests giving babies safe areas to practice moving and limiting time spent in strollers, cribs and other equipment that restricts movement.
  • Cheer the wrong direction too. Going backward is part of learning. Celebrate any movement, not just the textbook kind.

Setting up the floor for a new crawler

Once your baby is on the move, the floor becomes their whole world. A little preparation keeps practice time relaxed for both of you.

  • Clear small objects. The AAP warns against leaving small things on the floor or under furniture where a baby can find them and put them in their mouth, naming balloon pieces, button batteries and coins as especially dangerous. Do a sweep at baby height, including under the couch.
  • Gate the stairs. The AAP recommends sturdy gates at the top and bottom of stairs, and Nemours suggests blocking off rooms that are not safe to explore.
  • Give them room. Crawlers cover more ground than you expect. A clear stretch of floor lets them build up speed and practice turning without hitting a table leg every few feet.
  • Make it comfortable for knees and hands, and for you. You will spend a lot of time down there too.

Many families give their crawler a dedicated spot on the floor. Ours is the GRHomera Playmat: a coral fleece surface over memory foam cushioning, about 1.3 in (3.3 cm) thick in total, with non-slip backing. For crawling, size matters more than anything else, and it comes in 50 × 50 in (about 127 × 127 cm), 79 × 59 in (about 201 × 150 cm) and 118 × 79 in (about 300 × 201 cm), in Beige or Dark Grey. If you are not sure which fits, our size guide compares all three. Whatever surface you use, crawling practice is for awake, supervised time with an adult close by.

Short on space? See how to create a baby play area in a small living room.

When to ask your pediatrician

Every baby moves on their own timeline, but these are signs that health services suggest raising with your pediatrician:

  • Your baby uses one side of their body much more than the other, for example dragging one leg or rarely using one arm. The AAP's guidance focuses on babies using each arm and leg equally.
  • Your baby has lost skills they could do before.
  • By around 9 months, your baby cannot sit without support or pass things from one hand to the other, two items Nemours KidsHealth lists for that age.
  • By 12 months, your baby shows no signs of moving around on their own in any way. The NHS suggests asking for advice if your baby is not showing signs of moving by 12 months.
  • You simply have a feeling something is not right. The AAP's advice is to discuss it with your pediatrician if you feel your child is not moving normally.

Not meeting a single milestone on time does not necessarily mean there is a problem, as Nemours points out. Your pediatrician can look at the whole picture.

FAQ

What is the earliest a baby can crawl?

The AAP and NHS describe the usual window as around 7 to 10 months. Some babies start a little earlier and some later. A wide range is normal, and the style of crawling varies too.

Is it normal for my baby to crawl backward first?

Yes. The AAP explains that because a baby's arms are stronger than their legs, many push themselves backward at first. Forward usually follows with practice.

Do babies have to crawl before they walk?

No. The AAP says a few children never crawl and use other ways of getting around, and there is no scientific evidence that skipping crawling causes later learning problems. What matters is that your baby is moving, exploring and using both sides of the body.

How can I help my baby crawl?

Give plenty of supervised floor time, place toys just out of reach, get on the floor with them, and limit long stretches in seats and other gear that hold them still. Make sure the area is clear of small objects and that stairs are gated.

Sources

— The GRHomera team